I just love this camera even though it will cost a bomb!

Leica SL: A New 24MP Full-Frame Camera to Compete in the Mirrorless War

• Published on October 20, 2015 by Michael Zhang

Big news in the camera industry today: Leica has just announced the Leica SL, an entirely new mirrorless camera system that competes directly against the likes of Sony. Yes, the Leica M is technically a “mirrorless camera,” but the new SL is a new non-rangefinder, full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses.

Leica says the new SL is “a mirrorless camera system designed for professional photographers.” Inside the Leica SL is a 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor that has a max ISO of 50,000. A low-pass filter is left out for maximum sharpness and contrast.

The camera is also fast: it boasts what Leica is calling “the fastest autofocus on the market,” and the 2GB buffer lets you shoot at up to 11 full res photos per second and save them to the dual SD memory card slots in both 8-bit JPEG and 14-bit RAW DNG simultaneously.

On the back of the Leica SL is an impressive 4.4-megapixel, 0.80x-magnification electronic viewfinder with a new technology called Leica EyeRes. The EVF boasts a refresh rate so high that “it’s always smooth and consistent,” Leica says. Press the shutter halfway, and the EVF will show you a preview of exactly what the resulting shot will look like.

Underneath the EVF is a 2.95-inch , 1.04-million-dot touchscreen LCD that has a viewing angle of 170-degrees.

The Leica SL is built to be a rugged camera. It’s made of solid aluminum, and it’s protected with weather-resistant seals that keep dust, moisture, and splashes out of your camera. The rear LCD’s glass is scratch resistant and has an anti-glare coating.
For lenses, the SL uses the Leica L mount. Three lenses have been announced for the new system so far: a Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 will be launched with the camera. A Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–280mm f/2.8–4 will arrive in early 2016, and a Leica Summilux-SL 50 mm f/1.4 will hit the market in late 2016.

If you already have existing Leica lenses, the SL system will be compatible with them as well. T lenses will be compatible without an adapter. Leica S, M, and R lenses will be usable using additional adapters.
Shoot professional video? The Leica SL can do 4K video at 24/30 frames per second and Full HD video at 120fps. 4K footage can be output in 4:2:2 10-bit over HDMI 1.4. When shooting in video mode, the camera’s interface shows safe area, aspect ratio, zebra function, and the mic’s recording level (there’s an optional audio adapter for connecting an external microphone).
Other features of the Leica SL include focus peaking, a standard hot shoe, and built-in Wi-Fi and GPS.

The Leica SL (Type 601) camera will be available starting November 16th, 2015, with a price tag of $7,450. The 24-90mm f/2.8-4 lens will launch at the same time for $4,950.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...for-canon-and-nikon-with-new-sl-camera-system

Earlier this year, Leica released the Q, a fixed-lens camera with autofocus and the same guts as the brand's top rangefinders. It's mostly a camera for hobbyists or to serve as back-up for professionals. Now Leica's going a step farther with the SL, a new camera that aims to bring together the best of Leica's technology and optics to create a viable system that professionals can use in nearly any situation. Canon and Nikon, consider yourselves on notice.


If the Leica Q was a middle ground between the brand's consumer-focused point-and-shoot cameras and the classic M series rangefinders, the SL sits between the Q and the M. From a distance the SL camera body ($7,450) looks like that of the M, with the addition of a ridge on top to house the digital viewfinder and hot shoe. That's where the similarities stop. M cameras remain manual-focus only, use etched dials to manually set exposure, and encourage you to use the screen and menus as little as possible. The most recent M cameras are digital and produce great digital photographs, but they feel very much like shooting 50-year-old film cameras.




The Leica SL will have its own dedicated lenses, but it can use almost all other Leica lenses, too.


Source: Leica


The SL's back shows off a bright touchscreen and four large, programmable buttons for quickly navigating the menus and reviewing photographs. The dials on top of the body are unmarked, and the settings are shown on a small display at top right, letting you adjust what the knobs and buttons do so you can control the camera whatever way best suits your style of shooting. The viewfinder is electronic-only, with no traditional glass viewfinder to look through, and it's extremely bright and responsive. Testing the camera for a few days, I didn't notice any lag or stuttering. Significantly, when you use it with autofocus-compatible lenses, you're not stuck hunting manually.


Leica didn't pull any punches when drawing up specifications for the SL. The image sensor is the same, full-frame 24-megapixel sensor found in the M cameras. It can shoot from ISOs as low as 50 and up to 50,000 for super-low light photography. And the Maestro II image processor keeps the entire experience fluid and uninterrupted, even when you're shooting 4K ultra-high definition video or in bursts of stills at up to 11 frames per second. Throughout my brief test of the SL, from the time I popped in the battery until I packed it up to return to Leica, I felt as if I were the envy of photographers everywhere.

The back of the SL is extremely clean, and the four buttons around the touchscreen are programmable,.


Source: Leica


The SL will be getting its own series of dedicated L-mount lenses, starting with the 24mm-90mm zoom ($4,950) that I was able to try, along with the body. Most M shooters are probably used to shooting prime lenses that are much smaller and lighter than this zoom. The combo felt a lot more like shooting with a Canon 5D and an L-class zoom lens than with your typical Leica. While I wish it had an f/2.8 aperture through the entire range, instead of switching to a max f/4 at the long end, the results were razor sharp; shooting what felt like an autofocusing M was fun. Over the next year, Leica will also roll out a dedicated long zoom lens (90mm-280mm) and a fast, f/1.4 50mm prime lens for the SL, too.


Critically, a series of adaptors will be released over the next few months to allow the SL to use lenses from nearly all existing Leica systems. This includes M rangefinder lenses, vintage screw-mount lenses, medium-format S lenses, and even the vaunted cinema lenses. Without this ability, the SL would be essentially a Q with interchangeable lenses, at more than double the price. (Read: not worth your time.) With it, the SL is a flexible workhorse that can be used as a photographic and cinematographic multi-tool. Moreover, if you've already got a pile of Leica glass, the SL is much more alluring than if you were starting from scratch.




The controls are minimalistic, and everything is displayed on a small panel on top of the camera.


Source: Leica


For Leica's competitors, the SL is probably more unnerving than exciting. Manual-focus rangefinders have been favorites of photojournalists, street photographers, and patient fine art photographers for decades, but unless you wanted to invest over $20,000 in a Leica S system body and the limited range of correspondingly expensive lenses, there hasn't really been a Leica for such places as fashion shoots or football games.


The SL will do just fine in those high-pressure, fast-paced situations. Photographers who have long used Leica cameras when possible, and more work-oriented Canon and Nikon cameras when necessary, may now be able to stick to one system for everything. It would be dramatic and overblown to suggest that the SL poses a serious threat to either of these camera makers, but it could cause some loyal customers to change the next time they want to upgrade.



The SL isn't a camera for the casual shooter, although it is one of the easier Leica cameras to use.


Source: Leica


This is a camera for working professionals and serious hobbyists, not a toy for people who want a camera that says Leica on the front. For those people, it's one heck of a camera.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/9955093579/leica-sl-typ601-in-depth-camera-review

It came out of nowhere, a brand-new full-frame professional level mirrorless camera and lens system: the Leica SL. It combines a new lens system (using the existing mount from the T) with an extremely high resolution viewfinder and a sensor based on the one found in the coveted (by some, not all) Leica Q. That's quite a recipe, but is the camera really worth the lavish sum of its parts? We've done some preliminary studio testing, including a dynamic range analysis, and put it in front of our standard test scene. Head to the next page to see how the SL shapes up in our testing.

I'll be posting the test shots next. I still think the 810 is better especially at high ISOs

Download the test images.

Leica SL ISO 100

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/ima...ge?s3Key=332b7c1bb43042c7b4de74dba709345e.jpg


Nikon D810 ISO 100

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/ima...ge?s3Key=f925ec0f91f946998f03a3f77068b310.jpg

[h=3]Resolution[/h]One of the first things we noticed about the SL was the 24MP resolution specification. We asked the Leica SL's designer why a moderate resolution, comparatively speaking, was chosen. A Leica rep expressed that anything over 24MP seemed excessive, and that the company put priority on the images and the experience, rather than the sensor resolution. Leica isn't alone in this viewpoint, but it means that the SL's resolution specification comes up well short of the highest resolution bodies from Canon, Sony, and Nikon. Instead, it lines up with cameras like the Nikon D750 and the Sony a7II (although it does not share a sensor with either) which could be considered more 'all-around' performers. This is something to keep in mind if you consider cropping ability and ultimate resolution to be important features in a camera.

It's huge for a Mirrorless camera!

Boss, why would you need such a camera ?

I'm looking for one that can snap good indoor photographs of condo projects.

Onitsuka said:

Boss, why would you need such a camera ?

I'm looking for one that can snap good indoor photographs of condo projects.

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Nobody needs this camera just as nobody needs a Ferrari or Lambo. A Toyota works just as well.

For architectural photography, any camera will do. What you need is a good wide angle lens. Lighting is also important. A couple of off camera speed light units can work wonders.

Leica SL Sports Photography Detailed Analysis
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
[h=5]In the world of sports photography, faster is always better.[/h] Environmental Sealings
[h=5]Most outdoor sports games are held in all-weather, so your camera has to be ready for difficult conditions such as rain and snow. Exposure to dust and water splashes are also very common in sports.[/h] Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
[h=5]Leica SL's 1/8000s shutter speed is fast enough to freeze any almost all sports action and is also helpful when you use a fast lens at largest aperture under bright sunlight.[/h] 49 Focus Points
[h=5]In sports photography , you keep continuous autofocus (AFC) mode on for tracking the subject and more focus means better tracking.[/h] Good Low Light ISO
[h=5]A good high ISO performance is very important in sports photography in order to have a fast shutter speed.[/h] Wireless Connection
[h=5]It may not be used by everyone but pro sports photographers use Wi-fi to transfer files simultaneously without having to wait to change the memory card.[/h] Good Ergonomics&Handling
[h=5]With lots of external control and a good ergonomics, Leica SL's body is very good for sports photography.[/h] Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
[h=5]During a sports shoot, using a viewfinder allows the photographer to stabilize the camera and reduce the camera shake since it is closer to the body. Besides, it comes handy where LCD screens are very hard to read under bright sunlight.[/h] No Image Stabilization
[h=5]Due to the lack of sensor based Image stabilization, Leica SL users have to rely on lenses with optical IS in order to maximize the sharpness of their sports photography photos. Currently there are native Leica T mount lenses with Image Stabilization for Leica SL.[/h]

Leica SL Portrait Photography Detailed Analysis
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sized sensor
[h=5]Large sensors provide shallower depth of field and a nice blurry background for your portrait shots.[/h] Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
[h=5]Leica SL's 24.0MP sensor will provide larger room for cropping, and you will be able print your portrait shots larger with more fine detail.[/h] Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
[h=5]During a portrait shoot, using a viewfinder allows the photographer to stabilize the camera and reduce the camera shake since it is closer to the body. Besides, it comes handy where LCD screens are very hard to read under bright sunlight.[/h] Good Ergonomics&Handling
[h=5]Good handling and existence of well placed physical controls on the camera body is very important during portrait shooting. It is faster and more intuitive to change the camera settings with dedicated buttons and knobs instead delving into the menus on the LCD.[/h] No Image Stabilization
[h=5]Due to the lack of sensor based Image stabilization, Leica SL users have to rely on lenses with optical IS in order to maximize the sharpness of their handheld portrait shots. Currently there are native Leica T mount lenses with Image Stabilization for Leica SL.[/h]

boss which camera is good for family outing?

gingerlyn said:

boss which camera is good for family outing?

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My favorite would be the Olympus OMD EM-1

http://cameradecision.com/review/Olympus-OM-D-E-M1

If you want a cheaper option the OMD EM-10

http://cameradecision.com/review/Olympus-OM-D-E-M10

Leongsam said:

My favorite would be the Olympus OMD EM-1

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Thank you very much.
how much? 2 types of body, BLK / SLV, which is better?

gingerlyn said:

Thank you very much.
how much? 2 types of body, BLK / SLV, which is better?

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You have to do your own research when it comes to pricing as it varies from country to country.

Whether you prefer black or silver is entirely up to you. There's no "better" or "worse" when it involves cosmetics. It's a personal taste.

Leongsam said:

You have to do your own research when it comes to pricing as it varies from country to country.

Whether you prefer black or silver is entirely up to you. There's no "better" or "worse" when it involves cosmetics. It's a personal taste.

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thank you. this camera, is less than 17mp.
why such low mp? even sony xperia 5 premium PHONE is more than 23MP.

gingerlyn said:

thank you. this camera, is less than 17mp.
why such low mp? even sony xperia 5 premium PHONE is more than 23MP.

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Because the pixel count is not important beyond 12 MP. The size of the sensor and the quality of the imaging algorithms has far more influence on the quality of the final image. Unless you have been commissioned by an advertising agency to shoot 6' x 4' life sized posters, 12 MP is more than enough pixels.

If your images are used primarily for on line viewing, all you need is 3 MP.

There is no point having 23MP when the sensor size is tiny as is the case with smart phone cameras. Noise levels, color and dynamic range are compromised considerably. Besides smart phone cameras have tiny, cheap lenses which are generally the weakest link.

I shoot with the OMD EM1 and print A2 size images for exhibitions and the images are all razor sharp with no pixelation whatsoever. Large sensors with low pixel counts produce the best images with the least amount of noise and the best dynamic range.

Boss Sam, thank you for the good lesson.
I always want to see the pictures from my big TV screen say 45 inch and above or from my Macbook pro.
if that is the case, is MP still important to me? please guide me

I have heard a lot about Canon. But this one is first for me. Don't know how it will serve. Need to know more.